'Is he going to kill me? Am I going to die just like this?'
Aylin's heart seemed to stop completely for a moment as she realised what those words really meant. She felt momentary panic as her mind jumped on. While trying to set her wrist free from his grip, she attempted to push him away with her body but he was standing like a wall, too strong for a petite girl like her to push him away as she growled furiously like an angry kitten.
"Let me go!"
But, the young guy's slender and strong fingers pressed more firmly on her wrist as he pulled her closer to his chest and then, leaning forward, he whispered near her ear in his deep tone, "Hey, stay still… Why are you-"
Aylin instantly blurted out in an annoyed tone, cutting him in the middle, "What the hell! Do you want me to die obediently? Without even fighting for my life?"
Surprisingly, the young guy chuckled softly as he whispered back in an amused tone, "Do you think that you can win against me?"
Aylin's life was on the tip of the sword of that young stranger and in front of her were the royal soldiers with barely any intention to save her. Yet even in such a situation, she felt more annoyed than scared. She didn't understand how that guy could talk so lightheartedly, standing in front of his obvious death.
'Is he insane? Damn! Is he going to kill me in real?'
But, before Aylin could clear her doubts, she flinched in sharp pain. An arrow of the Arcelian Knight passed by, gently kissing her left cheek, missing her forehead as the young stranger pulled her behind him really fast, unexpectedly saving her life. Instantly, thick and warm blood began to roll down from the deep cut of her cheek as she bit her lip in excruciating pain to stop herself from screaming.
"Ugh!"
The Arcelian Knight shook his head disappointedly as he grumbled nonchalantly, "Damn it, Kid. You are faster than I expected."
The young stranger hid Aylin behind his silhouette as his lips twisted into a cynical smile. While rubbing his temple, he complained calmly, "Eh! Arcelian soldiers are quite heartless. I didn't expect that you would even try to kill your people for my sake."
The Knight took a step forward as he pulled the string of his bow, aiming at the young invader. Then, fixing an arrow, he threatened casually, "Of course. Do you think that I will let you escape just like this? Sacrificing a Nobody to hunt a malicious beast like you is totally fair."
The guy also raised his unsheathed sword, "Humph! Try your best, Old hag."
But, before approaching the small group of Arcelian Soldiers, he pushed Aylin behind a tree trunk nearby as he warned in a low whisper, "If you want to live, stay there. Ok?"
Pressing her one palm against her bleeding cheek, Aylin instinctively nodded her head. She didn't know exactly why she listened to him but Aylin didn't have any other options. After all, believing a weird stranger was still better than dying early.
The young guy was knocking back the arrows with his blade while approaching the Knight and his tiny troop. But, they kept on showering him with the arrows. While shooting his arrows, the knight asked in a mocking tone, "Third Prince, are you sure she is from Arcelia? It doesn't look like that. Or are you planning to take her with you as your mistress?"
The Third Prince didn't answer him with words; rather he leapt on the nearby soldier and snapped his head with a swift move of his sword. He was young but his movements were faster and unexpectedly skilled as if he was playing with his sword, cutting through the heavy rains and winds.
Aylin was peeping behind the tree trunk at first. But the brutality of the third prince scared her. Her breath caught in her throat as she was staring at him with a frightened expression. His face still had that calm expression as a tiny smirk was playing on his lips while snapping the soldiers one by one.
Aylin wasn't able to look at that sight anymore as she covered her ears and turned her head. Closing her eyes firmly, she murmured under her breath, "How can someone kill so cold-bloodedly! This guy is indeed a beast…"
The sounds of violence intermingled with angry shouts, swords clashing, deathly screams, horses whinnying. It was a massacre. The young guy was alone overpowering that small group of Military forces bearing the golden crest of Eagle. The ground was rapidly falling into ruin from all the blood, dust and piles of bodies.
Although their clothes were soaked with blood and they were lying on the ground. Some of them were still moving while others were already numb and stiff. The suffocating smell of blood reached her nostrils yet she didn't dare to look back until she felt a gentle push on her shoulder from behind.
Opening her eyes, Aylin slightly tilted her head only to find out that the Third Prince was standing next to her as the rain was dripping constantly, wiping his bloody hands and drops of blood from his devilishly handsome face. Everything turned silent once again except for the monotonous sound of rain and the groaning of some half-dead soldiers.
His plain black robe was tainted with blood, clinging firmly against his slender yet chiselled silhouette. Blood as red as his eyes was dripping from his unsheathed sword, staining the earth beneath it.
The Third Prince asked calmly, taking a step forward, "Hey, are you ok?"
Aylin felt a lump in her throat, looking up into his eyes and it was hard to swallow. There wasn't the slightest hint of emotions like fear, regret or malice in those crimson red eyes. She tried to speak but her throat was so tight it felt as though a hand were clamped around it and only a shaky sigh escaped her lips.
The Third Prince spoke again, breaking the awkward silence, "Umm… You are trembling, Miss Aylin. Let's find a shelter first."
But, Aylin flinched at his voice as she blurted out furiously, instinctively taking a step back, "D-Don't come near me… You are a… B-beast."
Instantly, the tiny and careless smirk from his lips disappeared as his eyes flickered. There was something cruel and cold in his gaze as it met hers, scarring her to the core. Those blood-red eyes lit up in an unreadable emotion for a moment as he took a step forward.
His slender fingers slid under her chin and he gently tilted Aylin's face, forcing her to look up more. He softly ran his thumb over her left cheek, wiping a few drops of blood that was still oozing out from the deep wound.
A bitter smirk twitched his lips as he asked, raising his eyebrows, "Would it be better if I just escaped alone and let you die here? Did I make a mistake by saving your life, Miss Aylin?"
Aylin was irked by his cool, aloof manner. Her fear and anxiousness turned into annoyance and wrath. She glared at him as she answered in an irritated tone, "Is it my fault? Because of you, they wanted to kill me… You are the sole reason for this massacre."
They were standing under the shed of the tree, all wet as the water was dripping from their hair. But, the force of rain was slower there.
The Third Prince murmured, sighing loudly, "Eh! Miss Aylin is so ungrateful. I should have just let you die… Don't you think that I deserve at least a small 'thank you?"
"Not at all. You even used me as your shield and threatened me? Remember?"
"Pfft! Silly girl."
An enchanting grin twitched the thin lips of the Third Prince. Pulling away from his hand, he answered tauntingly, "Don't tell me that you really believed that. I don't kill unarmed civilians."
Aylin instinctively took a step back as she asked curiously, her tone was slightly softer than before, "Couldn't you just escape?"
The Third Prince explained calmly while putting his sword back inside the scabbard, "I tried to escape without creating any ruckus but unfortunately, they didn't have a long life. Not to mention, if I would run away alone, they would arrest you, thinking of you as my companion and you know the consequences. Clearly, I didn't have any other choice."
Aylin didn't find any other reason to keep arguing with him. She just turned towards the direction of her village as she mumbled nonchalantly, "Anyways, I am going home. Hope not to meet you again, Enemy."
But, she barely took a step forward as the Third Prince spoke again, huskiness lingered in his tone, "Seriously? You are extremely Ungrateful, Miss. How can you just leave like this?"
"So what do you want me to do? Sit down and gossip with the enemy of our country?"
"At least, find me a place to rest tonight? It is already getting dark and raining immensely. No way, I will be able to return tonight."
Aylin tilted her head slightly as she sighed loudly. Then thinking for a moment, she asked in a suspicious tone, "Will you really leave Arcelia tomorrow? Without creating any more trouble?"
He smiled enchantingly and inclined his head instantly.
Frowning her eyebrows, Aylin confirmed in her silvery tone, "Promise? You are not lying to me, Right?"
The Third Prince approached her, taking long strides as he answered, pulling an innocent face, "Promise. Can we leave now? I don't want soldiers to fight me once again."
Sighing, Aylin shook her head slightly as she agreed, "Alright. Come with me."
It was still raining constantly and everything was looking grey and bleak. The loud and patterning sound of rain was suppressing every other sound and both of them were drenched wet as raindrops were stinging like sharp nails. Aylin silently led the way to her house through the dense forest.
Suddenly, noticing a movement nearby, the Third Prince called her from behind, "Hey, wait a minute."
With a puzzled expression, Aylin turned her head, wrapping both hands around her slender body, "What's wrong?"
The dark red eyes of the young prince were locked in a particular direction, a little far away from them as he asked, "Is the village still far away?"
"Yes… Why?"
"Wait a minute."
The Third Prince answered briefly as he ran towards a particular direction, leaving Aylin alone and dumbfounded.
"Hey! Where are you going?"
"Just a minute!"
"Ugh! Tell me first… Hey!"
Aylin screwed from behind for a few more times with a confused expression but he literally ignored her. Stomping her one foot on the ground, she grumbled in an annoyed tone, "Ah! What a pain! I shouldn't have returned to the forest…"
But within a few seconds, Aylin was pulled out from her thoughts as a faint sound of approaching hoofbeats interrupted her. Startled and scared, she turned her head in that direction but the chestnut horse stopped right in front of her as the young prince offered his one hand to Aylin.
Looking up, Aylin asked in a confused tone, "What is this?"
"A horse?"
"Yeah… I can see that. Is it yours?"
"Of course not." He slightly leaned forward as he added in an impatient tone, "Will you hold your questions? Get on."